Ferus : Book 6 of the Heku Series

by T. M. Nielsen

  “I would imagine so.”

  “Can’t you get free?” she asked, feeling the restraints.

  “No, if I pull too hard, it will electrocute you,” Frederick explained.

  “Where are the others?”

  “I don’t know, dead I suspect.”

  ***

  “Just William is here?” Chevalier asked Derrick.

  “Yes, Elder.”

  Kyle returned to his seat, “No sign of her, just her horse tied to the Durango.”

  “Damnit,” Chevalier sighed. “She’s never been gone for this long before. It’s usually just at night.”

  “I know, I hope nothing happened.”

  “Let William in. Let’s get him out of the way and we’ll talk about what to do about Emily’s disappearance,” Quinn said.

  Derrick nodded and let William in.

  William walked up to the Council and stood before them. It was obvious he was nervous.

  “What can we do for you?” Zohn asked.

  “We were ambushed in the main Ferus city. They kidnapped our main response team,” William explained.

  “Ok, and we care because?”

  William sighed, “Well… Frederick was the Elder leading this one…”

  “Spill it, the Equites don’t care about Frederick,” Chevalier said, irritated.

  William squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, “Emily… is on our main response team.”

  Chevalier’s hands balled into tight fists, “What?”

  “She’s been helping us take out the Ferus.”

  “How dare you!” Kyle yelled. “You had no right to put her in danger!”

  “She wasn’t forced,” William told them. “In fact, this was her last mission. She refused to deceive you any longer.”

  “Mark!” Quinn yelled.

  Mark appeared almost instantly, “Yes, Elder?”

  “Get the Cavalry ready for an attack mission, call in Powan, Thukil and Samuel Covens.”

  Mark nodded, “Right away.”

  When Mark disappeared, Zohn turned to William, “Tell us what you know.”

  Chevalier growled and blurred from the room.

  William sighed, “Our sources listed 3,000 heku in this city, and we suspect the leader was there. Our troops dropped in from above and were immediately ambushed, Emily was shot with a dart and fell first.”

  Kyle slammed his fists on the table, “You put her in danger… if she’s dead...”

  “They won’t kill her… Her uncle is the Ferus leader,” William whispered.

  “You knew that!?” Quinn screamed. “This entire time you knew that Alec was leading?”

  William nodded, “Yes.”

  Zohn slammed the speakerphone on and dialed.

  “Valle Council,” a strange man said.

  “This is Zohn. I need to speak to your Elders.”

  “We’re here,” Sotomar told him.

  “The Encala have been using Emily to wipe out the Ferus compounds,” Zohn hissed, his voice evil and malicious.

  “What!?” Sotomar yelled. “For how long?”

  William spoke, “The entire time, she was not forced.”

  “Now they have her,” Quinn said, obviously irate.

  Sotomar growled, “Tell us where…”

  “We’re sending in troops, but would like the Valle to assist as there may be a lot of Encala prisoners we’ll need to deal with.”

  “Where?”

  William proceeded to tell the Valle and the Equites where the Ferus’ main city was, and anything he knew from their many encounters with the Ferus recently.

  “We’ll send 1,000 Valle to meet you in 24 hours,” Valle Elder Ryan assured them.

  “We’ll be there,” Quinn said, and shut off the speakerphone.

  “I’m sure we’re not quite done with you,” Zohn said to William. “Chevalier will be back in a few minutes.”

  William nodded. He knew this was coming, but couldn’t leave Emily in the Ferus compound. Mark returned a few minutes later, surprising all of the Council with Kralen.

  “Good to see you awake,” Zohn said to him.

  Kralen grinned slightly, “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize when I woke up how long it’d been.”

  “You’re just in time… Emily is being held captive by the Ferus again.”

  “What!?” Mark growled.

  William grimaced and took a step away from the large heku.

  “Emily’s disappearances…” Quinn told him. “She’s been helping the Encala take out Ferus covens, and the last one got a bit out of hand, we’re going in after them.”

  Kralen frowned, “What if they try to turn her again?”

  “Then I suspect they will all fall asleep, similar to what happened to you.”

  ***

  “Then why did you go to Island Coven?” Frederick asked. He and Emily had nothing to do but visit.

  “What was I supposed to do? Chev’d just killed my husband, Ulrich was after me, and I was injured… it just kind of happened,” Emily explained.

  “You weren’t upset that he killed Keith?”

  “Not at all, sort of relieved actually.”

  “Hmm, interesting.”

  “What is?”

  “Just, not the story we heard.”

  “Oh, do tell…” Emily said, and smiled slightly.

  “We were told that after he killed your husband, you stayed on the ranch and late that night, were kidnapped by the Equites… pretty much brainwashed.”

  “No way!”

  “Yes, that’s what we were told.”

  Emily grinned, “That’s kinda funny.”

  She tried to see when the door opened but couldn’t turn around enough.

  “What do you want?” Frederick asked angrily.

  “Just to talk to Emily.” She was shocked to hear Alec’s voice.

  “Alec?” Emily asked, making sure she’d heard right.

  Alec walked around so she could see him, “Good to see you, Emi.”

  “What are you doing with the Ferus?”

  “Leading them…”

  “Damnit, Alec.”

  Alec smiled, “Surely it doesn’t surprise you that I took over when Exavior was maliciously murdered.”

  “Maliciously murdered? He tried the Yisolatara ritual on me!” She felt Frederick tense at her use of the forbidden word.

  “I’m not one to judge… but I am here to offer you a more pleasant environment.”

  “I’m fine, Freddy and I are just visiting.”

  “Obstinate to the end,” he said, and leaned against the wall.

  “Me? Obstinate? Why? Because I’m not willing to turn traitor to my friends and family like you are?”

  “I did not turn traitor. I owe my new life to Lord Exavior. I wish you could see the wonderful thing he’s created with the Ferus, and take your place at my side.”

  Emily’s eyes narrowed, “I much prefer sitting on cement at Frederick’s back.”

  Alec knelt down in front of her, “They want to banish you if you do not take your place with the Ferus.”

  “I can’t be banished…”

  “Yes, you can… burned at the stake and buried for eternity.”

  Emily gasped

  “Don’t touch her!” Frederick growled. “She doesn’t want to be with you.”

  “Your father had such high hopes for your future,” Alec told her, and sighed before standing up.

  “Funny, my father had the wrong impression of you too. He had no idea how low you could stoop.”

  Emily fell to the side when one of the Ferus’ slammed their knee into the side of her face, “Do not talk to him like that!”

  With Frederick’s help, she was able to sit back up, but felt her cheek swelling, “He doesn’t deserve to be spoken to in any other manor.”

  The same guard kicked out and connected with her ribs. The sound of breaking bone filled the small cell and she groaned and leaned back against the Encala Elder.

  �
��Stop it, Emily, don’t make it worse,” Frederick told her.

  “When you are done with the Encala, call me and we’ll talk,” Alec told her, and left. The heku guard slammed the door shut after them.

  “Are you ok?” Frederick asked.

  She nodded. The familiar stabs of broken ribs made it hard to talk. She leaned against Frederick and rested her head against his back. He fell silent while she drifted off to sleep. After a few hours, Fredrick woke her up.

  “Em?” he whispered.

  Emily groaned slightly, “What?”

  “There’s fighting around us.”

  “Who is it?”

  “The Valle and the Equites.”

  Emily sighed, “What if I don’t want rescued?”

  Frederick chuckled, “Whatever Chevalier has in store, can’t be worse than this.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  After an hour, Emily was able to hear the sounds of fighting also, and soon, there were heku outside of their cell door. The door flew open and Emily’s head sunk.

  “In here!” Mark yelled. “Cut off the electricity.”

  When he was sure the current was cut, Frederick tore open the restraints and flew to his feet, grinning, “Good to see you all.”

  Emily stayed on the ground and brought her knees up. Laying her elbows on her knees, she put her head between her arms.

  “Are you coming, Emily?” Frederick asked.

  “No,” she whispered.

  “Come on,” Mark said, and put his hand out for her.

  “He’s going to kill me.”

  “Probably”

  “Why don’t you save him the time and just drain me here.”

  Kralen appeared in the door, “Not a chance, Em, come on.”

  She smiled slightly, “You woke up.”

  “Yup, and then spent my first day back saving your ass, let’s go.” She noticed a hint of irritation in his voice.

  Her smile faded as she took Mark’s hand and stood up slowly, ignoring the rib pain because she didn’t want them to know.

  “Watch her, Equites. She has broken ribs,” Frederick said, and followed some of the Valle out.

  Emily sighed, “I don’t either.”

  Mark’s eyes narrowed, “Just the bruise on your cheek?”

  “I don’t have a bruise on my cheek,” she grumbled, and walked out, following Silas and Kralen. She heard Mark fall in behind her.

  They all walked out, and she noticed the fighting was over. Valle and Equites were scattered across the compound. She walked up to William when she finally saw him.

  “Where’s Alec?”

  William looked over the compound, “I think the Equites have him.”

  “We do,” Mark told her. “Get in the helicopter.”

  “I’ll give you $500,000 to drain me now,” Emily said to William.

  William smiled reassuringly, “He’ll calm down.”

  “After he kills me,” she said, and let Kralen help her into Equites 1. Mark, Silas, Kralen, and Jaron were the only heku that accompanied her back to Council City. Silas kept Kralen company in the cockpit while he flew, as Mark and Jaron took turns yelling at Emily in the back. She kept quiet and took it, knowing that was nothing compared to what Chevalier was going to do.

  “Landing in 5 minutes,” Kralen called back after many tense hours. When they landed softly on the roof, Mark threw open the door and Emily looked up to see the line of guards, but they were absent. The Council was in their place and the look on Chevalier’s face was pure anger.

  When she got out of the helicopter, she noticed that Quinn had a hand on Chevalier’s shoulder and she could only surmise that he was holding him back.

  “Council chambers,” Zohn said, and turned abruptly. The Council all headed down the stairs with Emily following them, and her guards behind her.

  Derrick opened the door without a word, and Emily walked into the council chambers and moved up before the Council, her eyes still on the floor. She could feel Mark, Silas, Jaron, and Kralen behind her.

  “I’m not even sure how to start this,” Quinn said. The sharp anger in his voice made Emily wince.

  “Let’s start with what you have to say about it,” Zohn snapped.

  “I have nothing to say. Let me have it,” Emily whispered, still watching the dirt floor.

  “Before we get to business. What are your injuries?”

  “Nothing to worry about.”

  “Frederick said she has broken ribs,” Mark informed them.

  “Frederick is a moron,” she said timidly.

  “How could you, Emily? Go behind our backs… join up with the Encala…” Quinn asked her.

  “I didn’t join the Encala.”

  “Sure as hell looks like it!”

  She ignored the influx in his voice and stayed calm, “I wanted to help exterminate the Ferus after what they did to me. I knew it was wrong… I knew it was underhanded, and I’m prepared for whatever the Council decides.”

  “Anything?” Zohn asked skeptically.

  “Yes”

  Zohn turned toward Chevalier, “What do you want to do with her?”

  “Expulsion from the Equites,” he growled, glaring at her.

  “You want to send her back to Island Coven?”

  “No, I want nothing to do with her,” Chevalier growled. “Let her join the mortal world… the Encala… hell even the Ferus. I don’t really care.”

  Emily wiped away a tear that betrayed her and trailed down her cheek.

  Zohn sighed, “I don’t want to do anything hasty.”

  Kyle glared at her while he spoke, “The Elder is right, nothing we do is appreciated, nothing we do to protect her is followed… She does what she wants, when she wants, and that makes her a liability to this faction.”

  “I agree,” Dustin said, leaning forward onto the desk. “We would be better off if she would find another place to live and stay away from the Equites.”

  “Well I don’t agree,” Zohn said. “I don’t know what to do with her, but I don’t think sending her out on her own is our answer.”

  “I concur, Elder votes are two to one to keep her here,” Quinn said.

  Emily reached down to her hand when she felt the ring slip off of her finger. She bent down and picked it up off of the dirt floor and held it tightly in her hand.

  “As both an Elder and her husband, I’m done with her,” Chevalier yelled, and blurred suddenly from the room.

  “I’ll speak for Island Coven. She’s not welcome there,” Kyle said, still watching her.

  “For now, house arrest, and we’ll let tempers calm before we decide,” Quinn said, and nodded to Mark.

  “She’ll just slip out,” Jaron said angrily.

  “I won’t,” Emily whispered.

  Mark grabbed her arm a little too roughly, and dragged her to an empty room on the fifth-floor. She stepped inside and heard the door shut and lock from the outside, then sat on the bed and finally allowed herself to cry. After almost an hour, Dain was let into the room, but the door was shut and locked behind him.

  Emily stayed quietly in the strange room for four days. No one talked to her, and the only company she had was visits from Alexis and Dain. Meals were dropped off and she dutifully ate them. The palace seemed quiet to her. Even the guards outside of her door rarely spoke loud enough for her to hear. She watched out the only window, but it overlooked the out-building and all she could see was its dark roof. She took out her ring often and looked at it, several times she slipped it on, but it never stayed.

  On the fifth day, she heard a knock and turned, expecting to see Dain. She was surprised to see Chevalier come in and shut the door behind him. She could feel the rage pouring off of him, and her eyes fell to the stark white bedspread.

  “What were you thinking?” he hissed.

  “I wanted them gone,” she whispered, unable to even look up at him.

  “I can’t do this anymore. I want nothing more than to give you everything you could ever imagine
, to protect you from harm, and to be with you for eternity… All you do is undermine what I do.”

  She nodded as her eyes filled with tears, “I’m sorry.”

  “I can’t trust you anymore.”

  “I love you and I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “I’m not sure you do. You love yourself. You care only about yourself, and I’ve been delusional to think that you cared even one ounce about me or this faction.”

  She finally looked up at him, “That’s not true.”

  “I was outvoted. The other Elders have decided to keep you here in the palace, where they can keep an eye on you,” Chevalier said, and opened the door. “As for me… stay away from me.”

  Emily jumped slightly when the door slammed and then she sunk down against the wall, her head buried in her hands. She stayed there, deep in thought until the door opened again. She looked up and saw Kyle and Dr. Cook come in.

  “I was told you are injured,” Dr. Cook said, and sat his bag down.

  “Nothing bad,” she whispered, and risked a glance at Kyle. He was still angry, but not quite as bad as the day she got back.

  “Nevertheless, I’d like to see your side.”

  Emily nodded and stood up. She’d already decided to do whatever she was asked. She sat down beside the doctor and lifted her shirt slightly, ignoring the low hiss from Kyle. Dr. Cook poked her ribs painfully and then began to tape up her side.

  “Four broken ribs,” he said, and then pulled out a syringe and needle. “Do you need pain medications?”

  “Whatever you advise,” she said, watching her hands.

  Kyle frowned slightly, but fought the desire to forgive her.

  “I advise this,” he said, and she held out her arm. Dr. Cook glanced at Kyle before giving her an injection. She lay back in bed when he was done, and they left, locking the door behind them.

  “That’s new,” Dr. Cook said when they walked into the council chambers.

  “I suspect she’s laying low and will do whatever we ask,” Kyle told him, and glanced at Chevalier before taking his seat.

  “As Frederick stated, she has 4 broken ribs.”

  “And the bruise on her face?” Quinn asked.

  “Superficial, nothing broken.”

  “Very well, thank you.”

  Dr. Cook bowed slightly and then left.

  “How is she?” Quinn asked, turning to Kyle.